Watching Anna Tsyganok weave lace in the traditional way looks complex, to say the least.
Just as it was done during the 16th century, Anna braids and twists lengths of thread using a set of bobbins. Her hands move deftly as she follows a pattern attached to a lacemaking pillow, adding pins to keep the weave in place as she goes.
“It is not difficult to weave lace at all. In the process, two pairs of bobbins with threads are sequentially intertwined. Lace is always woven in pairs—two bobbins connected by a single thread,” the 48-year-old from Russia told The Epoch Times.
“Only two movements are used in the process, twist and weave, and their various combinations give the entire lace pattern. The lace is formed row by row.”
Something of a forgotten art, bobbin lacemaking is also a therapeutic process. While she weaves, the small wooden sticks knock against each other, resulting in a delicate, rhythmic clicking.
“When a lacemaker weaves lace,” Anna said, “it resembles a kind of meditation: a pleasant chime of bobbins, hands are busy, and you always need to be focused and attentive enough not to make mistakes.
“This is a very enjoyable, soothing process, especially when you see the result. From ordinary thin threads, with the help of wooden sticks, an incredibly beautiful thing turns out.”
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Already adept at needlework, knitting, and embroidery, Anna was “intrigued and fascinated” by the idea of weaving with bobbins and creating intricate patterns.
“Lace has always required a lot of time and effort to make and therefore has always been very appreciated and expensive. People spent fortunes on lace because it showed their status,” Anna said.
Anna says the technique spread from Italy to Spain, Belgium, Flanders, and Normandy, eventually appearing in Russia during the reign of Peter the Great, in the 17th century. Since then, fashions have come and gone, but the craft has stayed the same.
Anna said, “To weave lace, you need a cushion or pillow, traditionally densely stuffed with straw. We create lace according to a design called ‘skolok.’ The drawing printed on paper is pasted on a thick cardboard and then attached to a roller.”
When weaving, a paired number of bobbins is used.
“Usually, it is about nine to 10 pairs of bobbins when weaving Russian lace. European lace uses more bobbins. It can reach 200 and even 300 pieces. And, of course, threads are needed—they can be cotton, linen, viscose, silk, metalized threads, or various combinations of them,” Anna said, adding that to become proficient, you must start with the basic elements.
She estimates that weaving a small napkin takes around eight hours of work. Patience and concentration are key. She loves the process and the satisfaction of producing beautiful items.
Recently, while working on a lace fan, her husband helped make and paint a wooden base for the couple to glue the lace onto.
“It turned out very beautifully!” she said. “No machine can weave the same lace as a lacemaker. When weaving lace by hand, the lacemaker invests the warmth of her hands, resulting in unique, exclusive handmade lace.”
